John Paul M. Joaquin Tech 12.19.2022 22:Dec PM EST

iPhone 14 Pro Supply Finally Improves in Time for the Holidays

The holidays are looking brighter for Apple.

The Cupertino-based tech giant is seeing an improvement in its supply of its newest iPhone 14 Pro models just in time for the holiday season.

Apple previously reported that its supply chain for its various devices is severely affected by China's "zero-COVID" policy but is taking steps to improve them.

iPhone 14 Pro Supply Chain Improvement Details

The improvement in Apple's supply of iPhone 14 Pro models is a good sign for the company. According to MacRumors, this change means the company has possibly caught up with holiday-induced demand following production disruptions.

These disruptions include the closing of Foxconn's largest iPhone factory in China's Zhengzhou city due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the city. An anonymous source with direct knowledge of the matter mentioned that Foxconn was looking at a possible 30% drop in iPhone production.

It also doesn't help that Foxconn's pay-related issues are affecting workers so much it led to protests and riots within "iPhone City."

China's draconian policy to curb COVID-19 infection rates in the city has also contributed to the protests and riots workers are holding.

However, with the implementation of new lockdown measures in Zhengzhou to curb COVID-19 cases, Apple's supply chain is steadily improving, with the company's online store giving better shipping dates than before.

Unfortunately, despite the improvements, customers looking to gift an iPhone 14 Pro or Max to themselves or others would have to expect to get them sometime after Christmas.

In specific configurations in the Apple online store, an iPhone 14 Pro or Max is estimated to begin shipping in just one to two weeks.

However, this estimate depends on the customer's location and the model they are ordering.

Apple Insider's report supports this finding, with lead times being stable at three days for non-Pro iPhone 14 models compared to four days two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the lead time for iPhone 14 Pro and Max models managed to stay at 25 days.

However, Apple is expecting that shipping dates will improve as the holidays continue to approach. Whether the improvement will mean that Customers will get their iPhone 14 Pro and Max models in time for Christmas is still up for debate.

Why A High Demand For iPhone 14 Pro Models?

The high demand for iPhone 14 Pro models shouldn't be surprising. Apple previously decided to bring their best hardware on the pro models, while the non-pro models get "last-gen" ones, per various reports.

To be specific, The pro and max models have a superior camera, the latest processor in the form of Apple's A16 Bionic chip, and Dynamic Island rather than a notch.

They even have Always-On Display and a longer battery life compared to the non-pro models.

Despite not having the best hardware, the non-pro models are still great at what they do. The A15 chip Apple installed on iPhone 14 no-promodels have almost the same performance as the higher-end iPhone 13 models since they have 6GB of RAM instead of the usual 4GB, per an earlier MacRumors report.

Apple also gave them a five-core GPU used by the iPhone 13 Pro models, prociding customers with great graphics quality and performance.